


If I can keep my head above the tide

by hoodedmiho (missMHO)



Series: hurricane [1]
Category: DC Cinematic Universe, DCU, Justice League (2017)
Genre: Batfamily feels (at times), M/M, aquabat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-02-04 20:15:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12778683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missMHO/pseuds/hoodedmiho
Summary: The world is saved and everything should go back to the way things were. Except, it really doesn't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, _Justice League_ happened. As I expected, I left the cinema shipping Arthur and Bruce, but to my despair I found next to zero content for them. So, as always when I enter a small fandom, I started creating some of my own. I hope you'll enjoy ^^"
> 
> Special thanks for [thekasialin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekasialin) and [kasssumi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasssumi) who took a look at it to check whether it's not a total disaster. I'm not a native speaker of English so I apologise for any mistakes!
> 
>  
> 
> **Contains spoilers to _Justice League_ (2017), some tags may be added as I go with the story.**

It’s almost peculiar to get back to chasing criminals all over Gotham rooftops after fighting literal monsters alongside metahumans, a goddess, and a resurrected alien. But the familiarity soon wins and the events of the past days seem almost like one of his many weird dreams.

The Joker-copycats gang he’s after today is a wave of such familiarity, an unwelcome one but, nonetheless, something he’s too accustomed to after twenty years of wearing the cowl. Their strength is in numbers and even though he’s been on their tail for some time now, he’s still not done with them. He would never admit it to anyone that he wishes he had back-up to wrap this up faster. He can see the copycats are getting desperate and that means they can do something really stupid.

He’s in the Batmobile, chasing the last two vans that are still making a break for it. The drivers of these vehicles were more clever than the rest, using routes that allow them to go with good enough speed to still be on the run but also not completely abandoned so that Batman has restricted range of options in terms of stopping them because of the civilians present.

Then, they do something really stupid.

One of the vans swerves too violently on the bridge. The crash is massive. The last van manages to get away but Batman is no longer chasing them. His full attention is on the car with a family in it that was pushed off the bridge and into the unapologetic cold water under it.

He ejects the inflatable boat from the Batmobile so that it flies over the edge of the bridge before filling with air. Then he’s out, running, the aqualung already in his hand and he’s diving into the water. The hit with the surface disorients him for a second so he doesn’t notice right away that there’s a leak of air from the aqualung. The oxygen is escaping with a speed that makes the gadget useless and Bruce has a brief flashback to earlier this evening, when one of the copycats succeeded in throwing Batman off the roof and while he managed to stop the fall with the grappling hook, he hit the side of the building quite hard - the gadget must have got damaged then.

He lets the aqualung drown while he himself continues swimming towards the sinking car. He always takes a deep breath before diving - despite the aqualung - to buy additional time to that provided by the miniaturized gadget. A technique that proves vital tonight.

When he finally reaches the car, it turns out that the driver is already dead - his head at an unnatural angle - but the woman from the front seat is struggling to get the two children out from the back. She’s trying to open the back door and she’s so focused on the task, she doesn’t notice him approaching. He moves her out of the way to wrestle with the door himself. It’s stuck, badly. He sees from the corner of this eye that the women is starting to suffocate and he motions for her to swim to the surface but she refuses to move. His own vision starts getting blurred as lack of oxygen is getting to him, too. But he _must save them._

He thinks he must have started hallucinating when suddenly he sees Arthur right in front of him. He’s shirtless and in torn jeans, just the way he looked at the end of their first conversation before swimming away. Their gazes meet for a second and Arthur gives him a little eye-roll before he tears the car door out. He tries to communicate something to Bruce but he’s too oxygen deprived to understand what the hand motions mean. Bruce still isn’t sure whether it is his dying delusion, Arthur being there to help, until the man is so close he is all Bruce sees, and then there are warm lips on his, pushing his mouth open and he almost chokes on the air being shared with him.

When he comes round enough to asses the situation again, Arthur is swimming to the surface with the woman and Bruce finally realizes that the man wanted him to deal with getting the children - already unconscious, Batman realizes with horror - out of the car while he got their mother to safety.

He’s cutting through the second seatbelt when Arthur is back and grabs both children to swim them out of the water. Bruce is slowly making his way to the surface, his vision swaying and limbs getting numb, when Aquaman appears before him again and takes his hand to give him a boost up.

Bruce takes a desperate breath and falls into a coughing fit once his head hits the surface of the water. Arthur is floating beside him, watching him almost worriedly. The woman and her children are on the inflatable boat, _breathing_ , the coast guard coming their way. Once Bruce’s breathing somewhat calms, Arthur says: “I’ll meet you in the _batcave_ ,” with the last word practically dripping with amusement, and he’s gone.

ж

When Bruce exits the Batmobile in the cave, he sees that Arthur is indeed already there. The man is sitting in Bruce’s chair in front of the main computer and drinking something from a steaming mug while chatting with Alfred. He’s also no longer shirtless but wearing a cashmere dark blue sweater that Bruce is fairly certain was taken from one of his wardrobes upstairs.

As Bruce approaches them, Alfred gets up from where he was perched on the edge of a worktable and looks Batman over for visible injuries.

“The last van got away,” he says, knowing Bruce would expect a report. “They’ll get it coming another night.”

Bruce lets out a hollow sigh and nods. He takes the cowl off along with the cape, throws them on the nearby table, and sits on the chair that Alfred must have brought seeing that Batman has a guest.

“Thank you for answering my call,” Bruce says to Arthur. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

In reply, Arthur raises his mug as if in a toast and looks playfully at Bruce. There’s a small amused smile on his lips and for a brief moment Bruce recalls the feel of these lips on his own - which is ridiculous because he never mused over such things, he’s been a vigilante for two decades, CPR happens much too often than he’d like it to. But here he is, staring at Aquaman and thinking about… Bruce clears his throat so he doesn’t scoff at himself.

“I need your help,” Bruce starts and one of Arthur’s brows slowly ascends. “I arranged a supply delivery to Russia, to help the people who suffered in Steppenwolf’s attack. There’s still some leftover alien radiation that makes air transport impossible until we are sure it won’t affect planes and cause even more damage, so the supplies were to be delivered using maritime transport.” Bruce can see that Arthur tensed a bit when he mentioned Steppenwolf and his expression became more serious and focused. “The transport was hijacked. We have an approximate location but the pirates are good…” Bruce admits, letting a little bit of anger to slip into his voice. “The delivery is time sensitive and we are already delayed by using ships instead of planes. I thought that maybe you could help…”

Bruce knows that his tech is good enough to pinpoint the location soon despite any signal-dispersing equipment used by the pirates, that then air support could be used to reclaim the ships as they’re still on the water and not near the area polluted by radiation, that Aquaman’s help will give them hours, at least, that it wouldn’t be a matter of life and death. But any hour is precious and maybe, just maybe, he wanted to cooperate with someone from their makeshift team again and as this issue was connected with Steppenwolf still, he expected the call will be answered.

“Of course, give me all the info,” Arthur says and Bruce feels something akin to relief. They both turn to the main computer and Bruce shows him the expected route of the ships, where the attack happened, and the scraps of data he managed to gather about the pirates themselves. Arthur is focused and seems determined as he takes it all in.

It is when Arthur is on his way out that Bruce finally makes himself say: “Thank you for your assistance back there.” Alfred would be proud.

"I was on my way here anyway," Arthur shrugs with one shoulder as a _you’re welcome_ of sorts. “You know, I’ve seen this cute video of a bat swimming on the internet once,” he adds. “I’ll send it to you, maybe you’ll learn something.”

Bruce isn’t able to stop a little snort before he composes himself and he can’t really go for the judging look now. He doesn’t remember when was the last time he was so relaxed while wearing a cowl, probably when Robin was still--

He forces his lips to form a smirk that he hopes fools Arthur. “Cannot wait,” he deadpans.

Arthur buys it (or pretends to) and lets out a laugh. “See you around, Bat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That bat swimming video [totally exists and I love it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62T-Ht_jWHE&spfreload=10&ab_channel=AdityaMitra) :D
> 
> I will appreciate all and any feedback, be it kudos or comments! Please let me know if I'm not the only one shipping these two 'cause I feel like it right now XD


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, thank you all so much for leaving kudos and comments on this! I didn't expect such reaction, you're all awesome <3
> 
> I'm sorry you didn't get that much after waiting for this chapter and being so lovely for me but I had a really busy weekend. I'll do my best to add something more in the next couple of days :)

Arthur hasn’t seen Bruce since the man asked him for help with the hijacked ship. After he dealt with the issue, he didn’t bother getting back to the man. He knew Bruce was monitoring the situation.

Now that he’s on his way to the batcave again, he can honestly say he’s looking forward to it. Arthur decided to finally face the music in Atlantis so he’s quite busy nowadays, dealing with politics and being constantly judged for his attitude. The idea of spending some time with Bruce almost feels like vacation. They didn’t really get close over the expanse of their cooperation with fighting Steppenwolf - though all of them felt some kind of camaraderie - but Arthur has to admit he misses teasing the man.

He’s in a double good humour knowing that Bruce is not expecting him. Bat asked Diana to help him train Barry - the kid needed it without a doubt - as he thought that the speedster should get used to dealing with both regular humans and those with more supernatural abilities. Barry was on board after it turned out there are other beings who can move as fast as he can - that moment when zombie Superman went for him clearly shook him. Diana was the obvious choice to ask for help considering she is the most experienced and well-trained of all of them. But something urgent came up and she called Arthur to ask to cover for her. He agreed right away, he was looking for an excuse good enough to take a break from Atlantis anyway.

Once he arrives, Arthur manages to catch the glimpse of surprise in Bruce’s eyes before the man turns his expression back to a controlled mask. One does not keep his vigilante identity a secret for two decades without being a good actor and quick on one’s feet, Arthur supposes. That glimpse is still satisfying.

“Hi, Bat.”

Bruce takes him in, probably trying to figure out what Arthur is doing in the cave in general. However, what he does say in the end is:

“I thought I’d find it abandoned somewhere in the Gotham docks.”

His eyes clearly indicate the dark blue sweater that actually belongs to the billionaire, one that Alfred presented to Arthur the last time he was here. Arthur grins, noting how Bruce referenced their first conversation back in the village, when he just discarded his clothes on the shore and swam away.

“It’s the softest piece of clothing I ever wore and you’re not getting it back,” he finally replies in full honesty. Bruce barks out a short laugh and Arthur counts it as a point for himself.

Arthur is already relaxed after the rough couple of days in Atlantis. He’s thinking of another quip when Barry whooshes into the cave in a red blur and throws some documents off of Batman’s desk with the gust he produces as he stops.

“Hi!” the speedster says, looking both over-excited and intimidated.

“Let’s get started.”

Arthur didn't expect Batman to be a good teacher. He was the one to bring the team together, that's true, but it's obvious he's not that much of a team player. The Atlantean is positively surprised to be proven wrong. Arthur observes as Bruce shows Barry the moves that would be most effective with his skillset and bodybuild, and is doing so with patience. Bat’s attitude shows it's not the first time he's doing this - teaching someone to fight and take advantage of their strength, as well as dealing with a trainee that's impatient, if not to say infantile at times. When Bruce said he wouldn't need Arthur's assistance too extensively today as they were covering the basics and he would need a metahuman just for a couple of practical exercises, Arthur expected to be bored. But he's honestly taken in by watching Bruce work with Barry, it's a side of the billionaire he didn't expect to see. And it's quite… alluring.

He observes Bruce presenting slowly how to best block a low kick and Arthur can see that while Bat is focusing on defense now, clearly for the sake of the kid who still seems reluctant to actually fight, the moves can easily be turned into offensive ones. Arthur nods to himself approvingly. Bruce really knows what he’s doing. Once Barry is ready to go from blocking to striking, it will go much smoother with versatile basics that can be easily turned into attacks.

Then it is finally Arthur’s turn to do something more than just stare. He is to use his meta-human strength to attack Barry and the kid is supposed to draw from the speed force to gather enough power to actually block it. Bruce and Arthur exchange a brief look before the first try and he sees in Bat’s eyes that he’s supposed to go easy for now. He grins at Bruce mischievously but, for once, he obeys.

ж

Barry looks a bit traumatised at the end of the training, though Arthur really played nice. He supposes the kid is still a bit intimidated by him after Arthur threatened him in the transporter as a result of that farce with the Amazonian lasso. So when Bruce is giving the speedster some final comments, Arthur takes off to explore some more of the cave. He still didn’t map out every part of it and he has to admit to himself that he’s still childishly fascinated by this place.

He doesn’t venture far before he stops in front of a glass case that for some reason fills him with dread. Despite the unexplainable uncomfortableness, he can’t stop looking at it. Inside there’s a suit, one resembling the style of Batman’s in terms of materials and craftsmanship but too small to fit a man of Bruce Wayne’s built. It looks much more like something that would be worn by a kid. The suit is clearly damaged and across the chest piece there’s an inscription in yellow paint: “joke’s on you, Batman”. It’s that inscription that makes Arthur's skin crawl.

Arthur isn’t sure how long he just stands there, staring, but it must be long enough for Bruce to notice him lingering there. He joins him by the glass case in silence. The Atlantean didn’t even realize when the speedster had left.

“It’s a reminder,” Bruce speaks but it’s strained and Arthur barely catches it.

He’s not really sure whether he should ask for more but curiosity wins. “Of what?” Arthur queries, his voice as soft as Bruce’s, and he realizes he is developing a fascination about the man.

“It’s no secret knowledge that I had adopted two boys,” Bruce says, not looking at Arthur, with a tender expression on his face that is simultaneously painful and loving… “What is not widely known is the fact that they were not only my family but also partners in fighting crime in Gotham…. One of them was killed.” That last sentence is totally devoid of any inflection and Bruce’s face turns into stone.

“I’m sorry,” Arthur responds in the socially expected way because he doesn’t really know what else he could do. Asking about the suit might have been a mistake but his urge to get to know Bruce better won. He can’t really say he regrets venturing into this topic but even if he did, he can’t just leave Bruce like that now, not after unearthing this. “What happened to the other one?” Arthur’s not sure whether this will lift the mood even a little bit or turn out to be another topic he shouldn’t have poked but at least he’ll know for the future and maybe he won’t screw up like this again.

“He’s alright,” Bruce starts but he lets out a little tired sigh before continuing. “From what I know from Alfred. I-- We-- fell out. A lot. He went to university and over time and distance, we were slowly getting better… Then…” Bruce’s eyes go to the displayed suit again and his expression darkens again. “He was grieving after Jason, too, and I, well, was being me. Then Metropolis invasion happened and he reached out to me, to talk some sense into me, but I wasn’t listening to anyone. I didn’t hear my own son telling me that Superman isn’t the enemy.”

“But you brought Superman back,” Arthur tries to help. He’s not sure whether he actually is. “We all make mistakes but you’re trying to make up for yours. You brought us all together.”

Bruce nods a little but he doesn’t look convinced. “But how many mistakes can you make before it’s too late to start fixing them?”

Arthur’s lips curve in a small encouraging smile and he gives Bruce a small nudge with his elbow. “This kid of yours sounds like a good guy, so I don’t believe he’s as much of a stubborn ass as me; and even I got around to see through my grudges and give Atlantis a chance.”

Bruce looks up at him and Arthur sees a hint of gratefulness in these hard brown eyes. The man nods again, more to himself than to Arthur, and turns away from the glass case. “How about a drink?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for bulshitting that training scene, I know nothing about martial arts or even self-defense. The only expertise I have in such areas is how to shoot a bow but this is not a Green Arrow story - so please bear with this xD


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive and writing whenever I can xD
> 
> Thank you all so much for leaving kudos and comments <3

It feels peculiar to be leaving the cave with someone by his side who isn’t Alfred. Bruce got used to it being just the two of them again… And that thought is almost painful.

He leads Arthur to the living room, gestures towards the armchairs and walks to the liquor cabinet. He grabs two glasses and a bottle of whiskey and turns around back to the other man, but he finds that Arthur isn’t seated yet. He stands by the glass wall with the view of the lake.  He’s is almost a silhouette against the moonlight and Bruce stops for a moment and simply _looks_. His eyes are once again drawn to the dark blue sweater. Bruce recalls that it was just the right size on him but when Arthur wears it, it’s a bit tight, hugging all of his muscles perfectly, as if it were a second skin. Bruce can’t help it but remember what Arthur’s body looks like under that sweater. He comes back to this memory more often than he would like to...

Bruce would never admit it to anyone - he hardly admits it to himself - but he blames the unsuccessfulness of his first visit to the Atlantean on how _distracted_ he was. He was stunned by Arthur, seeing him in person, his beauty and the aura of danger, these inhuman blue eyes… He blabbed like an idiot. Then Arthur started casually undressing right there in front of him and, well, the whole conversation was a disaster. It’s been a long time since anyone affected him this way.

Now, Bruce huffs silently at himself and finally walks to the coffee table to put the glasses there.

“Such a nice place and I bet you mostly sit in that cave, huh?” Arthur comments when Bruce starts pouring them alcohol.

“At least the guests can appreciate it,” Bruce replies as he takes one of the glasses and sits down. Arthur reaches for the other and finally takes a seat in one of the armchairs. He downs half the glass and sighs.

“Yeah, I needed that,” he says. “To get out, punch something, and get a drink.”

“Things not going well in Atlantis?” Bruce queries, actually curious. Atlanteans, Amazons - whole nations which developed outside of the rest of the world. He was fascinated when he first learned about their existence and he still is.

“I’m new to Atlantis,” Arthur says and Bruce hears a little bit of bitterness in his voice. “I know I’m one of them but I’m still an outsider. I grew up in a lighthouse with a regular human father… I’m no royalty but I’m expected to be a king.” He drinks the rest of the whiskey and pours himself another glass.

“If this is any consolation to you, you will most definitely be a better leader than me,” Bruce points out and Arthur snorts.

“Don’t be that hard on yourself. You were an asshole most of the time, yeah, but you did bring us together in the end. And we won.”

“You only came because of Steppenwolf messing with your people,” Bruce retorts with an eyebrow raised in a challenge.

“Maybe, but I’m glad I did,” Arthur smiles, honestly, and raises his glass in a toast. Bruce can’t stop a little smile from spreading on his lips as he reciprocates the gesture. He is glad, too…

They fall into a comfortable silence for a longer moment, both of them simply watching the calm surface of the lake. Then, when Bruce moves to refill his glass, Arthur speaks again.

“You know, after my father died, I went to a bar in the port to get drunk. I spent most of my evening sitting by the aquarium and talking at a lobster they kept in there. When someone actually ordered the little guy and the cook tried to take it to the kitchen, I ended up fighting for it,” Arthur snorts at himself, stirs the whiskey in his glass and finally looks at Bruce. “I feel like spending the evening here is somewhat of an upgrade,” he grins.

Bruce can’t help a grin of his own when he tips his head to the side a little and says: “So you _do_ talk to fish.”

Arthur bursts out laughing and Bruce feels it pleasantly reverberate in his chest.

ж

Arthur is surprised but also pleased when he receives an invitation to take part in another training - this time directly from Bruce. He really enjoyed his last visit and, since then, he found himself looking for excuses to come back. He’s glad the opportunity came to him.

He’s the last one to arrive this time, it was quite hard to get out of Atlantis even for a moment this evening, and he finds Bruce and Barry already sparring on the mat in the training area of the cave. Bruce gives him a nod in greeting and Barry says “hi” and smiles - before Bat slaps him warningly on the ear and points out that he can’t get distracted in the middle of the fight. Arthur snorts and sits down on the floor next to the mats to wait for the part when his participation - or rather his Atlantean strength - will be required.

Bruce is wearing only a dark tank top and sweatpants and Arthur discovers he’s really in favour of Bat’s choice of clothing today. He can finally observe the movement of these hard earned muscles without the cover of armor or expensive clothes.

Arthur finds himself occupied with spotting the scars covering Bruce’s skin, wondering how they came to be. He knows Bruce has been doing this far longer than any of them and maybe it’s because of that, his confidence and experience, that it is so easy to forget he’s just human. Incredibly trained, fearless, and very well equipped, but a human nonetheless... And definitely a little bit mad.

His inner musings are interrupted when Bruce asks him to join them on the mat, he wants Arthur to play the role of the aggressor against him so that Barry can observe the movement from the side.

“Attack me from the left,” Bruce is already giving orders when Arthur is still taking off his shoes. Once he’s on the mat, Bruce gestures at him, prodding. For a split second, Arthur has an urge to use his inhuman strength, just to mess with the man, but it swiftly dissipates when his eyes land on the fresh bruises that Bat must have collected last night, starkly visible against the pale skin of this arms. He doesn’t want to hurt the man. More than that, he doesn’t like the look of any wounds on Bruce, he wants them gone.

Arthur freezes for a moment as Bruce stares at him questioningly, waiting. He knew he was attracted to the other man, that’s nothing new. But the protectiveness he’s feeling? That’s different.

“Here I go, Bat,” he covers his own little crisis with a cocky smile before he attacks - using moderate human strength. Bruce blocks it without effort but he gives Arthur an assessing look when their eyes meet. Arthur is just happy he may be an amazing detective but he can’t read minds.

After the training, when Barry has left, Bruce offers him a drink again and despite how dangerous getting close to the man is becoming, Arthur accepts.

ж

It somehow becomes a routine. They meet every couple of days to train with Barry or to discuss matters concerning the team with the rest of the group, and Arthur always stays after - to go upstairs and share a drink or two. It develops into that much of a pattern that one day when they leave the cave, they are greeted by a full-fledged dinner and a smug-looking Alfred. Sometimes they discuss the team, sometimes Arthur asks for advice concerning Atlantis (“You’re a CEO of a giant company, Bat. I had no one to boss around in a lighthouse. The only people I ever told to do something were assholes in bars that I told to go fuck themselves”). Other times, Arthur tells a story about his father that he was reminded of by something in the conversation, and on occasion, Bruce will recall the shenanigans of Dick and Jason. Bruce never really talked this much about the kids - he didn’t have to when they were around and after they _weren’t_ , it was just Alfred he ever spoke to about anything more private than Wayne Enterprises or the case he was working on. And it was to painful to talk about them with Alfred. With Arthur, he finds himself opening up. Clark helped him see the light in the world anew, but Arthur makes him feel _human_ again.

ж

Bruce is exhausted. He’s been playing cat and mouse with Anarky for weeks now and today was exceptionally awful. The man is playing dangerous games with hostages and it’s driving Bruce up the wall. But for now, he just wants to call it a night.

The last thing he expects to find when he exits the cave, sans the suit but somehow feeling even more frustrated and tired than before he took it off, is Arthur. The Atlantean is sitting on one of the armchairs by the glass wall and there’s an almost empty bottle of whiskey in his hands. He grins once he spots Bruce but the detective knows him enough to see the unhappiness written all over his person. He also notices that the man has indulged himself enough to actually get drunk. He never did that in Bruce’s presence before.

“Arthur,” he says as a way of greeting but also posing it as a question.

“I had a really shitty day, I hope you don’t mind,” Arthur replies, indicating the bottle. “You spoiled me with good whiskey,” he points the finger of his free hand at Bruce. “I don’t really have the taste for the cheap stuff now.”

Bruce sighs and leans against the wall. He’s still extremely fatigued but he finds he isn’t really angry at Arthur, more at the people who pushed him enough to decide to do this. He was gaining more and more footing in his life as an Atlantean lately, it’s vexing to know some steps back have been made in his progress. Bruce rubs his face in exhaustion and hisses when his hand presses on the cut wound on his jaw that he managed to forget about. The fact that he allowed Anarky’s lackey to cut him right on the skin not protected by his cowl is the biggest mark of his weariness.

He hears a _thunk_ of a bottle being put on a table and then footsteps. Bruce lifts his head to watch Arthur approach him with a frown on his face. The Atlantean is gazing at the makeshift dressing on his jaw as if it offended him.

“You’re hurt again,” Arthur says as he stops in front of him. Bruce raises his eyebrow at ‘ _again’_ , almost offended. “I don’t like it,” he almost slurs that last one.

Bruce is so taken aback by that comment that he doesn’t even have a retort to voice. Arthur makes another step forward, shrinking the already small distance between them. There’s a question on the tip of Bruce’s tongue - “what are you doing?” - but he doesn’t ask it… Because, he does know. He sees the intensity in Arthur’s eyes. And he doesn’t stop him. He doesn’t stop Arthur as he leans in and presses their lips together.

For a moment, Bruce allows himself to tune out the world around them and just _feel_. The surprisingly soft lips on his, the contrasting sensation of Arthur’s beard scratching his skin, the frantic beating of his heart…

Arthur hums in approval as Bruce reciprocates the kiss. When Bruce's hands land on the other man’s hips and squeeze, Arthur deepens the kiss, his tongue daring to touch and lick and explore. One of Atlantean's hands moves to Bruce's neck and he feels his skin tingling pleasantly from the contact, and he wants more. He can taste the whiskey on Arthur's tongue now and… this is when he freezes and withdraws his lips and his hands.

Once Arthur realizes what Bruce did, he makes a step back. The light blue eyes look at him in confusion, asking and almost hurt.

Bruce has to physically restrain himself from kissing that frown off of Arthur's face. He wants this, he wanted this for some time now. But it's not worth it to have Arthur tonight if that would make Bruce that guy who was conveniently around during a bad day. Besides, he doesn't do drunk as a rule.

Arthur is still waiting, hopeful but not imposing. Bruce allows himself a split second of reconsideration but he knows it's not going to happen. Not tonight. Not like this.

“Good night, Arthur,” Bruce says without looking the Atlantean in the eyes and leaves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve taken the lobster scene from the animated movie “Justice League: Throne of Atlantis”. The animated Arthur is a bit different than the one from DCEU but I feel like this particular situation fits them both :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all your support, kudos, and comments! I really appreaciate it and love all of you <3

When Arthur gets a fresh invitation to a training session with Bats and Flash, he’s so relieved he almost swims to Gotham immediately after opening the message.

He has come to _want_ Bruce in every meaning of the word. He desires the man, yes, hence his actions after getting drunk on the billionaire’s booze. But he also values their friendship and if he can salvage at least that, he will gladly take it.

He tries to be patient and just wait for the training session two days from now but after fighting with himself all day and Mera scolding him for being distracted and more uncooperative than ever, he just decides to _fuck it all_ and heads to the Batcave in the evening.

He’s lucky enough to find Bruce there and not running around rooftops of Gotham. He’s sitting by a huge table with plans of the Manor laid out before him, studying them with concentration. But he’s not Batman for nothing, he senses Arthur’s presence before the Atlantean reveals it himself.

“The training is day after tomorrow,” he says without turning around to actually face Arthur.

“I know,” Arthur replies as he approaches the other man. He leans on the table, obstructing Bruce’s view of the blueprints. Bruce puts his pen down and looks up at the Atlantean.

Arthur studies the other man for a moment... He _needs_ to know for certain that the distance between them must stay, he won’t lose this chance to misunderstanding and alcohol.

“I kissed you,” he says without beating around the bush. He wants the topic of this conversation to be clearly established. “And you kissed me back… Until you didn’t.”

Bruce keeps looking at him but it doesn’t help Arthur – the man doesn’t need the Bat’s cowl for this face to be unreadable.

“So far you have stated facts,” Bruce says after a long expectant silence from Arthur.

“I want to know why you stopped.”

“You were drunk,” Bat’s voice is still matter-of-fact.

“So if I were to kiss you now... _Sober_ and fully aware of my actions and too aware of my desires... Would you like me to? Or should I cross that out of the menu for good and offer you a friendly drink instead?”

Bruce holds his gaze but something changes in his expression. The mask falls and a challenge ignites in these brown eyes. An invitation.

Arthur grins.

He leans down but Bruce is already getting up and he meets him halfway. His lips are eager and Arthur’s whole body starts burning with desire within seconds. He moans impatiently into Bruce’s mouth and tugs at the billionaire’s clothes to bring him closer. Bruce doesn’t resist, just the opposite, he settles eagerly between Arthur’s legs. One of Arthur’s hands travels down to the other man’s ass, the other halts at the neck, massaging Bruce’s scalp as he deepens the kiss. Bruce responds keenly, sucking on Arthur’s tongue and sliding his own hands into Arthur’s hair, tugging at the strands when he wants him at a different angle.

“May I suggest we move this somewhere more comfortable,” Arthur breathes against Bruce’s lips and the other man nods in response. Arthur is sad to have the billionaire untangling from his embrace but they quickly relocate to the lift and start kissing again before the door fully closes behind them.

The moment they finally enter Bruce’s bedroom, Arthur’s jacket and shirt are being almost tore off of him. He laughs mirthfully at the other man’s eagerness and starts taking Bruce’s clothes off, too. When they make it to the bed, they’re both completely naked and hard. Bruce lays down on his back, pulling Arthur with him but the Atlantean resists, just to stop for a moment and _stare_. Bruce’s body is breathtaking, a result of continuous hard work. His skin is covered in scars that make Arthur simultaneously frustrated with how much pain the man was through and fighting an urge to catalogue all of them with his tongue.

“You’re gorgeous,” he says out loud and Bruce huffs at him before pulling him down again, harder. This time Arthur follows and their bodies finally touch skin on skin, their lips interlocked again, their chests flushed against each other, their cocks sliding in between. They grind against each other uncontrollably for a while before Bruce stills his hips and tugs on Arthur’s hair to position his head in a way that allows them to make eye contact.

“I want you inside me,” Bruce states but there’s a question in his eyes, he’s checking up whether Arthur is okay with this. Bruce is a lucky bastard because Arthur is more than okay with this.

“Your wish is my command.”

Bruce smiles with amusement. “I thought _you’re_ the king.”

“You’re a billionaire, it’s almost the same.”

Bruce smacks him on the shoulder playfully before he points Arthur in the direction of the lube and condoms. Arthur generously puts the substance over his fingers while Bruce positions himself on the bed, a pillow under his lower back and his legs spread open.

First, Arthur leans in to leave a kiss on the inside of Bruce’s thigh, then travels with his mouth higher. Biting and licking and kissing a path up the billionaire hip and across his stomach. When Bruce’s breathing becomes more shallow and his hands come back to Arthur's hair, the Atlantean starts massaging Bruce’s entrance. Bruce opens up for him beautifully, barely tensing up, thrusting his hips lightly against Arthur’s fingers once he’s stretched enough and by that communicating he’s ready for another. Arthur’s cock aches just from thinking he’ll be inside the man soon.

“I’m ready,” Bruce breathes out at one point and Arthur obediently takes his fingers out. “Come on,” Bruce hurries him and Arthur’s hands are shaking slightly from anticipation as he puts the condom on and adds more lube onto himself. He positions himself back between Bruce’s legs but before he does anything further, he _looks_ at the man before him. How disheveled his hair become, how dark his half-lidded eyes seem, how he’s breathing through slightly opened mouth… He lurches for that mouth, kisses Bruce deeply and obscenely, until he has the billionaire tugging on his hair painfully to keep him in place and he takes control of the kiss and Arthur moans helplessly into his mouth as he surrenders.

“Now, get in me,” Bruce rasps at him once he breaks the kiss and Arthur is more than happy to comply. He slides in slowly but surely, Bruce taking him without tensing, just as he did with Arthur’s fingers earlier. He stays motionless for a moment once he’s all in to allow both their bodies to adjust to the feeling but then Bruce whispers: “Move, Arthur,” into his ear and manages to make the two words sound so dirty, he doesn’t think twice to comply. He starts slowly, making his thrust full and thorough. Bruce hums contentedly every time Arthur fills him all the way, his fingers digging into the Atlantean’s back.

Then, after what seems a simultaneously a fleeting moment and an eternity of pleasure, Bruce’s limbs change their position around Arthur and the billionaire gets a hold of him. Before Arthur can assess what’s happening in his sex-induced stupor, they’re being turned over and now Bruce is the one on top, kneeling on the bed with his legs on both sides of Arthur’s hips, and looking at the Atlantean in a way that could be described as predatory.

Bruce spreads his hands over the other man’s chest and lowers himself onto Arthur in one smooth motion until he’s all the way in, deeper than they could manage in their previous position. Arthur’s hands squeeze Bruce’s hips and he lets out a moan that seems to be ripped out of his chest. He’s breathing heavily, his eyes focused on the figure in front of him, waiting for the other man to make the next move. Bruce is a work of art and it feels incredible to completely give himself up to him.

“Arthur, you feel so good…” Bruce groans, it’s barely hearable but for a second Arthur feels like it’s going to be the thing to tip him over the edge. Then, Bruce starts moving. He lifts his hips in a steady motion and only once he sets out a rhythm, Arthur joins him with his own thrusts. It seems to be then that Bruce loses his control and louder moans start escaping his mouth. It’s the most sexual thing Arthur has ever witnessed.

“Touch me.” It sounds more like a plea than a command but Arthur reacts as if to an order, his hand moving to Bruce’s leaking cock and stroking him in the rhythm of their thrusts.

Arthur comes first and he puts all the effort he has left into continuing to stroke Bruce while his whole body is overwhelmed with pleasure. He’s aware he’s talking, a mingle of expletives, endearments, and Bruce’s name... He interrupts this mantra with his own whine as he feels Bruce climaxing, his insides clasping tightly around his oversensitive cock.

Arthur lays limp with pleasure, distantly feeling how he slides out of Bruce and the man falling onto the sheets next to him. He doesn’t remember when was the last time he felt this sated. He could always find someone to have sex with, to let off some steam, but rarely there were any emotions involved. Being with Bruce was different, intoxicating and addicting in a way that Arthur forgot is possible.

Bruce puts a hand on his chest and Arthur opens his eyes to find Bruce leaning over him with a satisfied expression playing on his face. Arthur puts a thumb on the other man’s lower lip, it’s red from their kisses and how Bruce was biting into it before he lost control enough to start making noises. Arthur strokes Bruce’s lips in wonder before moving his hand to the back of the billionaire’s neck to pull him down for another kiss. It’s lazy and a bit sloppy and perfect.

ж

Bruce wakes up alone.

He scolds himself when he feels disappointment stinging somewhere in his chest. He got caught up with emotions last night and when Arthur bluntly said he _wants_ him, with his eyes clear and so focused on him, he couldn’t really find more excuses to say _no_ … And now he’s alone in his bed.

No one ever sticks around him, not the kids, not the lovers he gets to care about, it's always just Bruce and Alfred… Then he notices that Arthur's clothes are still on the floor.

He gets up, puts a bathrobe on, and ventures into the rest of the house to, hopefully, locate the Atlantean. Bruce knows he shouldn't be that surprised when notices the other man in the lake outside, but he still is a bit taken aback.

Arthur is lazily threading through the water, leaving a path in his wake on the otherwise smooth surface of the water. He’s solely in his underwear and Bruce is content to just stand by the shore and watch the other man in the morning light. Soon, however, Arthur notices him, grins, and starts swimming towards Bruce. He joins the other man on the shore and for a long moment they just stare at each other with tension much less pleasant than that from last night.

“Bruce,” Arthur finally says before taking a deep breath and Bruce has to subdue an urge to flee. This is _it_ and if he doesn’t hear it, he can pretend--

“I need to know whether that was just a one-night stand for you or if you see it as a start of something more,” Arthur puts the matters on the table and it's one of the things Bruce really likes about him, how no-bullshit he is about most issues. “Because I think we could work if we give it a chance,” Arthur confesses and Bruce can breathe normally again. “You're a mad man but I admire you…”

Arthur’s gaze doesn't leave Bruce’s face, his inhumanly blue eyes searching and hopeful. Bruce feels how a small affectionate smile spreads his lips before he can stop it.

“I want to give this a chance,” he says and the smile that appears on Arthur’s face makes him a bit breathless. God, the man is beautiful. And now he is Bruce’s.

Bruce closes the distance between them and puts his hands on the Atlantean’s shoulder to pull him into a kiss.

“I’m getting you wet,” Arthur says against Bruce’s lips with amusement. His bathrobe indeed started sponging the lake water from the other man’s body when they got close.

“Well, I guess that comes with getting involved with the Aquaman,” Bruce deadpans and Arthur snorts, then bites his lower lip teasingly before joining their mouths in another kiss.

They withdraw once they hear a voice coming from the house.

“There’s breakfast in the kitchen, sirs,” Alfred announces. “And some towels by the door once you decide to come inside.” And with that, he retreats back to the house. Bruce doesn’t miss the smug tone of Alfred’s voice. Well, he was nagging Bruce about finding someone long enough. Seems like he’s satisfied with a half-human man at this point… Bruce definitely is.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see this is now a series. I have a plan to write a jaydick fic set in DCEU-verse that will be the second part of this series. And then the third part will be a mix of this aquabat and the jaydick established in the second installment. I don't know how long it will take me to write and publish it all as I have at least two other fics I need to finish asap but I'm already working on parts of the rest of this series so I hope it won't remain just a plan forever. If you're interested in reading the rest of the series, you can already subscribe :)
> 
> You can find me on [tumblr](http://missmho.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/hoodedmiho) if you want to fangirl over Arthur's tattoos together.


End file.
